Police: Man, teen swap drugs for sex

A 76-year-old DeBary man who investigators say bragged about having sex with a 15-year-old girl in exchange for drugs was arrested Friday afternoon, sheriff's officials said.

Arnold McDermott of DeBary remains at the Volusia County Branch Jail on $1 million bail, Volusia County sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson said. The septuagenarian was charged with unlawful sexual activity with a minor and lewd or lascivious battery.

The senior citizen was arrested Friday after a 10-month-investigation that at one point was halted because the girl denied she was having sex with McDermott, Davidson said. The case was revived though after sheriff's Sgt. Virgil Ford and investigator Greg Seymour -- with the help of detective Stella Ott -- corroborated the initial allegations against McDermott with people who saw the DeBary man swimming naked in his pool with the teen and sleeping with her in his bed.

Witnesses also said McDermott bragged about his sexual encounters with the girl, Davidson said.

The case gained more steam earlier this month when the girl -- now 17 -- told investigators she wanted to kick her prescription pill habit and she wanted to talk about McDermott, Davidson said.

The girl said she became addicted to pills when she was 15. She said McDermott repeatedly gave her the drugs as long as she gave him sex, Davidson said.

When the two got together, McDermott would tell the girl what kind of sexual acts he wanted, Davidson said. Sometimes the suspect would also give the teenager money, Davidson said.

The girl put an end to the sex with McDermott last spring, Davidson said. He was arrested at 3:40 p.m. Friday at his Colomba Road residence, Davidson said.

The suspect is also facing drug charges, Davidson said, for selling 15 Oxycodone pills to an undercover narcotics agent. In 2004, he was arrested for possession of crack cocaine, but the charge was dropped when he agreed to substance abuse treatment, court records show.

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